


Last Flowers

by cassyblue



Category: Gideon the Ninth - Tamsyn Muir
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Gen, gideon shows up two hours late with starbucks, god has to deal with teenagers, the emperor meets his useless gay spawn, they hate each other but not really
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-15
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-01-31 04:17:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21440101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cassyblue/pseuds/cassyblue
Summary: Harrowhark Nonagesimus, the Reverend Daughter and Lady of the Ninth House, after the death of her original cavalier, requests her childhood nemesis to be sent as an replacement. However, what Gideon finds when she arrives is not at all what she expected and is propelled into a trajectory with a figure from her past.
Relationships: Gideon Nav & Harrowhark Nonagesimus
Comments: 3
Kudos: 34





	1. I.

Gideon did not expect to walk into a bloodbath and most certainly did not expect to find Harrowhark Nonagesimus, her nemesis, crumpled on the ground with a sword in her hand. This was not supposed to be how she came to be Harrow’s new cavalier at the First House. But instead, Gideon ended up running into a fight as Harrow had been stabbed through with a rapier. Crux and Aiglamene were going to kill her, was the only thought in her head as she took the majorly fucked up and creepy necromancer that had just thrust her rapier through harrow by surprise. The necromancer screamed in pain and fury as Gideon had come from behind in blind fury and terror, skewering her with the sword that Aiglamene had so tried to get Gideon to not take. Blood sprayed Gideon’s face. Her only thought was  _ “Fuck” _ , or more acurrately,  _ “Fuck, fuck, fuck.” _

As soon as she had been sure that the fucked up necromancer was not going to move, Gideon had rushed to Harrow’s side. Harrow’s face seemed to fill with relief when she saw Gideon. All Gideon could think to do is stop the bleeding. She reaches to yank out the rapier from Harrow’s abdomen. Harrow lets out a low moan as her eyes start to roll back. She franticly rips off strips of her robes to stuff in the wound, “Fuck, Nonagesimus.”

Harrow doesn’t respond as Gideon presses down to apply pressure. Her first aide training is not the greatest. She just knows stop the bleeding or Crux and Aiglamene are going to kill her for bringing back the corpse of the Reverend Daughter. “Harrow!”

Harrow’s eyelids flicker for a second as her hand weakly reaches out to grab the cowl of Gideon’s robes. Gideon is starting to panic. She has seen Harrow get hurt before not nothing like this. Necrolord forbid during one of their fights that Gideon even drew blood. Harrow coughs, blood dribbling down her black painted lips, “Griddle?”

“Yes, fuckface, it’s me.” Gideon can’t stop herself from spitting that out. Harrow’s grip tightens on Gideon’s cowl as she lets out a gasp before starting to convulse. Gideon tries to pin Harrow down as her limbs start to flail. This is not good. Not good at all. She might hate Harrow, but she doesn’t want Harrow to die on her watch. Gideon yells as Harrow continues to shake, “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Harrow you can’t fucking do this right now!”

And then Harrow suddenly is still. All her limbs fall to the ground. Her eyes are closed. Her chest heaves up and down still as she breathes. A trickle of blood drips from her nose. Gideon doesn’t know what to do. No, she knows what she has to do. She has got to get Harrow off this world. “Harrowhark, stay with me or I am going to get killed.” 

Gideon hasn’t seen anyone else besides the bodies she stepped over while searching for Harrow. All she can do is scoop up Harrow’s limb body and get her back to the shuttle. But that doesn’t happen. Of course with Gideon’s terrible luck, when they arrive at the dock where the shuttle from the Ninth had been tethered-- it was gone. Well it wasn’t gone exactly, it was a different shuttle in its place. This shuttle had the insignia of the First House on it. 

_ Fuck. _ That’s all Gideon can think as Harrow lets out a low whimper as Gideon tightens her grip.

The rest is a blur. Gideon is interrogated by servants of the First House as they try to pry Harrow away. Gideon refuses to let them separate her from Harrow. Something is going on and she doesn’t know what. She certainly doesn’t trust these people with the heir of the Ninth House. And that is how Gideon ended up in the infirmary when the Necromancer Prime, the resurrection, the god of the nine houses, and undying emperor appears. 

Gideon who had never thought she would ever be in the audience of the emperor was disappointed in the man. She had expected someone, well, more impressive. But nonetheless she kneels before him waiting for him to speak. “My Lord.”

“I have some questions for you.” The emperor says gesturing for Gideon to rise. She stands and meets the oil slick eyes of the emperor. Her back crawls as he stares at her, almost as if he is peering into the darkest corners of her. 

Gideon nods, “I don’t know how much I can answer, but I will try.”

“Who killed Cytherea the First?”

Gideon stares in confusion. Who the fuck is that? She had never heard of that name before. “I am sorry, my Lord, I don’t know who you mean.”

The emperor looks weary. God shouldn’t look weary or tired. But Gideon keeps that to herself waiting for clarification. The emperor speaks, “Cytherea was one of my lyctors. She decided to turn against me it appears and someone at Canaan house appeared to have killed her. There are four survives, two have denied they did the deed.”

Fuck. 

She glances at Harrow who lays on a gurney seeming very tiny. Her face had been washed of the paint and blood, her cheekbones stand out even sharper from her sunken face. She looks back at the emperor. It kills her to speak so formally. But she can’t get herself or Harrow in trouble, “I killed a necromancer that had ran the Reverend Daughter through.”

“You killed Cytherea.” The Emperor says but not in surprise or shock, more as if he was taking information in to examine later.

Gideon doesn’t know what to do. She stands there awkwardly. The Emperor finally says, “Thank you. Please let one of my servants know when Lady Nonagesimus wakes.”

And then he leaves. 

Gideon has no words. 

She killed an lyctor?

The thing that Harrow had been trying to become?

She turns back to Harrow, “You have so much to tell me, bone witch.”

Gideon was dying of boredom waiting for Harrow to wake. She wasn’t exactly over the interaction with the Emperor. She had come face to face with God and he just wanted to know who killed that creepy ass necromancer. That was it. No punishment or any other reaction. She eventually falls asleep in the chair next to Harrow. Sleep better than being bored awake in Gideon’s mind. Besides she liked sleeping. That was one of her few pleasures of existing. 

However sleep didn’t last long. She woke to something grabbing her arm. It was Harrow still looking paler than usual. Her skin on her hand seemed translucent, her blue veins standing out more than they would usually. Gideon scrambles back instinctively fulling expecting to get pummeled by bones. But Harrow’s fingers sink into her arm like claws, “Nav, where am I?”

“The Emperor’s ship, I guess. I wasn’t really told much.” Gideon sits back down, scooting the chair closer to Harrow, “What the fuck happened?”

“I don’t want to talk about it, Gideon.” Harrow’s voice trembles for a second, “It’s better you didn’t know.”

“Better I didn’t know?” Gideon sputters, “Aiglamene and Crux shipped me out here to protect you and you’re telling me that I shouldn’t know why the fuck I ended up finding you with a sword in your gut, Harrow!”

Harrow glares at Gideon, a sign that she must be feeling fine or at least well enough to be angry. “It’d put you at more risk than you already are if we are on the Emperor’s Ship. Has He talked to you?”

He. Oh the Emperor. Gideon nods. “The Emperor wanted to know who killed the lyctor.”

“And what did you tell him?” Harrow’s nails dig deeper into Gideon’s arm. 

“He had to explain who he meant and I said I did. Because well, that’s the truth.” 

“You are so fucking stupid, Nav. You shouldn’t have said that.” Harrow snaps, “That’s only going to raise questions-”

“What else was I supposed to say?” Gideon interrupts angrily, “My mistress of the dark catacombs was comatose and Aiglamene didn’t prepare me for  _ this _ .”

“You shouldn’t have said anything. You know the situation of the Ninth House.”

“Whatever.” Gideon glares at Harrow.

“You keep your mouth shut from now on. I’ll just say that you took an oath of silence.” Harrow releases Gideon’s arm that now has angry red marks from Harrow’s nails. 

Gideon rubs her arm, “You are not serious.”

“I am perfectly serious.”

“Fuck you.”

“Shut up, Nav.” Harrow finally sits up. She runs her fingers through her curls for a moment before speaking again. “Did He say anything else?” 

“To let the servants know when you’re awake.” Gideon says. 

Harrow scowls, “Of course. Now for real, you shut up and don’t speak to anyone but me.”

It wasn’t until a few hours later that the Emperor was summoned. Harrow kneels before him with her arm around Gideon’s shoulders support. The Emperor’s expression is blank as he gestures for Harrow to rise. Gideon continues to support for Harrow as the Emperor speaks rehashing what he had told Gideon. But then it changes. 

“Harrowhark Nonagesimus, will you serve me as a lyctor?” The emperor asks. 

Harrow nods solemnly, “Yes, my lord.”

“Then Harrowhark the First, I will arrange for your training to commence so that you will be read to serve as my hand. There is a war that I cannot fight alone.” 

Gideons interested in piqued, but as much as she wants to ask questions she remains silent. Then Harrow speaks, “What are your plans regarding my servant, Gideon Nav? Will you send her back to the Ninth House?”

The Emperor is silent for a moment and then his eyes bore again into Gideon, “No. She will remain here as your servant.”

Gideon wants to sputter something in response. She managed to get off the Ninth only to end up still being in Harrow’s shadow and being bound to her. This was not what she had wanted. She had hoped that she could maybe go back to the Ninth, tell Aiglamene and Crux that Harrow managed to become a lyctor, and then perhaps manage to fuck off that rock to somewhere better like the Second where she could enroll in the cohort. 

Harrow dips her head for a moment, “Thank you, my lord.”

“I will arrange for your quarters to have space for your servant.” The emperor says before he turns to leave, “And, I expect that Gideon Nav will also attend the training as your servant, Harrowhark.”

This is going from bad to worse. But she keeps her mouth shut to not protest this. But she just can’t, “Excuse me, but what?”

Harrow gives her a kick to the shin as a warning. 

The Emperor pauses as he turns to leave, “I trust that you had discussed this among yourselves. But yes, you are to remain with Harrowhark the First. The other surviving lyctor has a companion that will be remaining with her and sharing quarters. Now, I must take my leave.”

Gideon tries to not sputter as he leaves. Who the hell does he think he is? He isn’t her parent or much worse, a member of the Ninth House. Oh yeah, that’s right. He is the emperor and he is god. But Gideon’s indignation doesn’t care that he is god. She cares more that she is being treated as a possession of Harrow’s. In a way, she kinda is since she is technically indentured to the Ninth House, but she isn’t Harrow’s. 

And then the Emperor leaves. 

Harrow glares at Gideon, “I told you to not speak!”

Gideon shakes Harrow off, “What the fuck was that?”

“He could kill you for what you saw, Nav, don’t be stupid.” Harrow retorts, “And as much as the idea of you being dead is appealing, I do not want you dead.”

“Thanks for the sentiment, can’t say I feel the same about you,” Gideon retorts. 

***

_ The emperor retreats to his study to review the situation. Cytherea is dead. He has two new lyctors that require training and two survivors from Canaan House with the potential to cause trouble. He already had to break up a fight between Ianthe Tridentarius and her sister, Coronabeth after Ianthe had demanded Coronabeth give her an arm. That was enough to give him, the Necromancer Prime, a headache. He had forgotten what it was like to deal with young and newly minted lyctors.  _

_ And then there is the issue of the niner who killed Cytherea reportedly.  _

_ Gideon Nav should have not been able to do that. From what he had been able to glim from Ianthe before she and her sister started to fight, was that Cytherea had been weakened but still had enough power to overpower Ianthe, a new lyctor. Harrowhark had also been fighting Cytherea. But in the end it was Nav that dealt the final blow. It could have been just pure dumb luck. But that would have been highly improbable.  _

_ And those eyes. Those are not the eyes of someone from the Ninth House.  _

_ He will have to keep a close eye on Gideon Nav.  _


	2. II

Gideon was not pleased to find out that she and Harrow were expected to share a room. At least at the Ninth, she had her own cell and didn’t have to sleep in the same room as Harrow. She had quickly claimed her side of the room before Harrow could hang bones up everywhere for “ambiance”. The quarters at least had a sitting room where Gideon could escape the presence of Harrow. After the first night, Gideon had taken over the sitting room as her space because she couldn’t stand the clicking and rattling of Harrow tossing and turning. Harrow didn’t say anything besides scowl at the pile of blankets on the sofa and Gideon’s sword (which had been surprisingly returned) leaned against the wall. But it had also been fairly clear that Harrow did not want Gideon in the same room by the way that the door had shut as soon as Gideon had made her nest in the sitting room. 

They had settled into an uneasy routine of wake, training, spare time, and sleep. Truth be told, Gideon was bored out of her mind. She couldn’t talk to the others but also she didn’t particularly want to talk to them after hearing one of their fights even if the one was a total babe. She didn’t particularly want to slip on blood or puss in the hallways again from the creepy one. Most of Gideon’s spare time is spent sleeping which probably kept Harrow pleased that she wasn’t getting herself into trouble. 

Gideon wakes from one particularly long nap. She groans, stretching and rolling her shoulders to get the kink out. The setting room is dark, Harrow must have turned the light off. What time is it even. The door is shut to Harrow’s room so she must be home. 

Then a scream comes from behind the door. It doesn’t sound like an angry Harrow scream. Gideon knows those all too well. Harrow screams again which sends Gideon to her feet. The screaming continues as Gideon creeps towards the closed door with worry. This isn’t like Harrow at all. Gideon very slowly cracks the door open and almost slams it shut after seeing what was behind it. Harrow thrashes and convulses in her bed as skeletons spring from the bones scattered across the floor. Fuck. 

Gideon really, really does not want to go in the room and check on Harrow. The skeletons shred each other as Harrow continues to scream. She had managed to keep Harrow alive this long, what would be one time that she just didn’t make sure Harrow was alright? It really wouldn’t be worth getting attacked by constructs. She can hear Aiglamene and Crux in the back of her head and she sighs. She should do it just so Aiglamene and Crux don’t kill her after this is all done, which had better be soon. 

Gideon keeps an eye on the door as she backs up to grab her sword. The skeletons seem to be completely focused on each other as they rip each others’ limbs off. Bones fly and clang against the walls. She draws her blade and grips it as she kicks the door fully open expecting the worse. But, the skeletons take no notice of her. She stands there confused for a moment. Why aren’t they going after her. Harrow’s skeletons have been going after her ass for years. Wait. Harrow is asleep? Harrow has never done this before to Gideon’s knowledge. She just needs Harrow to stop screaming since her head is starting to throb from the high pitched shrieks. 

Gideon swings her sword shattering the constructs causing bone fragments to fly all over. The constructs do not regenerate but Harrow is still shrieking like a goddamn banshee. Gideon reaches out to shake Harrow, but thinks better of it. She does not need to be strangled by a skeleton for touching Harrow. Instead she yells which probably wasn’t a better idea but it doesn’t involve touching a necromancer having a freakout, “Nonagesimus, shut the fuck up!”

Harrow wakes letting out a final shriek. She shoots up looking around wildly. Her breathing is rapid. There is a hint of panic in her eyes. Then she sees Gideon her face turns from confusion to the usual scowl, “Griddle! Fuck you!”

“Harrow, you were screaming like you were being fucking murdered and raising skeletons. I had to check on you as much as I did not want to come into your creepy ass catacomb.” Gideon says sheepishly as Harrow’s hand comes up to wipe off her upper lip from a necromancy induced nosebleed. Her face is completely naked making the blood stand out even more. She looks down at the blood smeared on her fingers and then at the scattered bone fragments on the floor. 

Harrow finally speaks in a small scared voice. Harrow has never shown fear like this in Gideon’s presence which unnerves her. “I don’t - I don’t understand. This shouldn’t happen…”

“I think you were having a nightmare.” Gideon offers. 

Harrow runs her hands through her curls before starting to tug on her hair violently staring down into her lap. Gideon comes closer, this is bad. Harrow has never been like this-- not even after her parents. Not even when Gideon had dragged her out of the First. Harrow’s lips move as she hoarsely starts to mutter, ”I pray the tomb is shut forever. I pray the rock is never rolled away. I pray that -”

Gideon spots Harrow’s bone beads that had been left haphazardly on the desk on a pile of paper. She offers them to Harrow hoping that the beads will calm Harrow down. Harrow’s fingers shoot out like claws to take the beads. She continues to pray with more fervor than Gideon has ever seen before. The Reverend Daughter is pious in her own ways, but the fierceness in Harrow’s voice and the way her knuckles turn white clutching the strand betray just how shaken Harrow is. The beads rattle and clack as Harrow’s hands move over them, a sound that is strangely comforting because of its familiarity. As much as Gideon hates to admit it, she does kinda miss the Ninth. At least there she wouldn’t be bored out of her mind. 

“Nav, come here.” Harrow says. 

Gideon obliges. Harrow pulls on Gideon to sit next to her. Gideon is too shocked to do anything but comply. This is not the Harrow she knows that would rather burn in hell then have Gideon so close. But, Harrow seems so small in the black robes that seem to devour her body. Her eyes are sunken from the lack of sleep. Scars crisscross her cheek, which Gideon has to admit is kinda hot. She wishes she had sweet battle scars like that. 

“Stay with me?” Harrow asks, “Please?”

“Ew, gross. I don’t want to sleep by the practically already skeleton Reverend Daughter. I saw what the constructs did. They were tearing each other apart.” Gideon starts to sputter. 

“Griddle, please?” Harrow asks again. If it was anyone but Harrow, Gideon would have thought it was more of a whine than a request. Harrow continues in an attempt to justify the request. “You’re the only one I can trust here to not murder me while I sleep. Fuck as much I hate it, you’re the only one I can trust here.”

Gideon sighs. She should just do it since Harrow never says please. The last time she heard Harrow say please to her was probably when they were kids. She eyes the bones that Harrow wears. “Fine, fuckhead.”

Harrow shuffles in the blankets to make room for Gideon. Gideon stretches out and then snatches a blanket from the pile that Harrow hoards to make a nest. Harrow’s hand shoots out to tug on Gideon’s sleep. “Closer.”

Gideon rolls her eyes and complies. Harrow curls up against Gideon, her face so close, so unbearably close to Gideon’s. This is not her Harrow. Her Harrow have thrown Gideon out of the room if she had even come this close. But at the same time, Gideon doesn’t mind it. It’s not like she’s going to be sleeping by any other girls anytime soon. May as well take this opportunity while she can. 

“If you tell anyone about this ever, I rip your spine out quite literally, vertebrae by vertebrae.” Harrow says as she laces her fingers through Gideon’s hand before closing her eyes. 

Gideon has no biting remark to fling back at Harrow. Instead she studies Harrow’s unmade face, the gentle curve of Harrow’s eye lashes, the sharp edges of Harrow’s cheek bones, the thin pursed lips. Harrow is right about one thing, all they have is each other in this place. It’s not that Gideon dislikes Harrow per say, it’s just they don’t get along and the reason has been lost to time. That doesn’t matter anymore. Harrow is hers now. Gideon hesitantly touches Harrow’s curls, they are softer than she remembers. Harrow’s fingers tighten around hers. 

“Sweet dreams, my dark lady.” Gideon says once she is sure that Harrow is asleep before planting a peck on Harrow’s forehead. 

***

_ The emperor reviews the reports on Harrowhark and Ianthe. Ianthe seems to be progressing fine in the training despite still fighting with her sister outside of training. Harrowhark on the other hand seems to be struggling with control. However, he is not too concerned about that. She just needs more practice with a sword and working with Gideon Nav should fix that.  _

_ The reports on Gideon Nav however are sparse. It appears that she has taken an oath of silence. She only leaves the quarters with Harrowhark and never by herself. Rather frustrating to the Emperor since he would like to know more about Gideon Nav. There is not much information that he can gather besides that she is a foundling and bound to the Ninth House.  _

_ That reminds him, he needs to deal with the fact that Ianthe appeared to have ordered a rather large amount of hair products and they should not be delivered to his ship. Their location should remain private at all costs.  _


	3. III

Gideon had really pissed off Harrow during a training bout and it turned into a full on skirmish much like the ones they had as children. Harrow chasing Gideon around the training room while raising skeletons and Gideon swinging through them with her broadsword. It was probably something stupid that Gideon said, it’s been long enough that they both don’t remember what exactly was the source of this brawl. Gideon sees an opening as Harrow gets too close and kicks Harrow’s legs out from under her while she is distracted by trying to chain Gideon to the spot with skeletal hands raising out of the floor. Harrow falls backwards and hits the floor with an audible yelp, all the air coming out of her lungs. Gideon smirks as she walks over to rub it into Harrow that she won. And then she trips and falls because of a creeping skeletal arm, “Nonagensimus! That’s dirty!”

Gideon and Harrow lay on the cool floor of the training room panting, the exhaustion from the exertion of their fight catching up to them. Harrow looks rather cross, her face pinching at her brow and her lips pursing. Gideon has seen this face for years, but there’s something different about after this fight. Harrow spits, “You were dirty first, Nav. I learn from the best of the cheaters.”

“Shut up.” Gideon stares up at the ceiling offended. She does not cheat. It is Harrow who can throw as many skeletons as she likes at Gideon and Gideon has one sword. 

They fall into silence laying on the floor. The fight must have really taken something out of Harrow, Gideon decides. She feels just about the same as she would after any other fight with Harrow’s skeletons. Harrow’s breathing starts to become even as she stops panting. Gideon finally speaks up, “You know, I missed your ugly face.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Harrow turns her head towards Gideon, her lips still pursed tightly. 

Gideon still looks up at the ceiling not wanting to meet Harrow’s eyes. They haven’t talked about the nightmare incident. It hangs between them like the Locked Tomb. Gideon is struggling to come to terms that Harrow might actually  _ like _ her. If Harrow didn’t _ like _ her, then why did Harrow continue to insist on sleeping near Gideon? Just the other night, Gideon had been woken up by Harrow sneaking into her blanket pile because Harrow’s hands just naturally are freezing cold. This is her roundabout way to trying to talk to Harrow about it because god forbid they actually talk about it headon. “Dearburh was boring without you. I was jealous of you, thought you were going to have some grand adventure and I’d never get off the rock.”

Harrow remains silent. 

Gideon continues, “I was pretty fucking wrong about that, huh?”

“Nav, you are such a moronic oaf.”

“Aiglamene should have been sent instead of me. At least she could teach you something useful. They didn’t trust me to be left there without her I guess thinking I’d destroy part of Dearburh or something.”

“I asked for you.” Harrow turns her face to stare up at the ceiling to look at the ceiling so she doesn’t have to meet Gideon’s face. 

“You’re fucking with me. You hate me.” Gideon laughs, her body shaking on the floor. Fucking Harrowhark Nonagesimus asked for her? Harrow had wanted her? Harrow had never wanted her before or at least made it seem like she didn’t want it. But then again Harrow probably is just stunted because of the way the Ninth House is. Gideon and Harrow were the only two kids and Harrow’s parents--well, they weren’t around. Not that Gideon feels they would have managed to teach Harrow how to actually be a human being instead of a gremlin necromancer. 

Harrow was in fact not fucking with Gideon, “As much as I hate your dumb ass, I needed you.”

“The Reverend Daughter, necromancer extraordinaire, needed me, Gideon Nav, the thorn in her side?” Gideon tries to feign disbelief, but this just affirms her and Harrow’s odd arrangement. “I am honored to be wanted by your excellency the witch of the Ninth.”

Harrow rolls her eyes. Of course Gideon would be like this. She should have never used Gideon as a comfort that night. It’s only started a cascade effect that they don’t talk about. “Don’t let it go to your head, you don’t have much room in there.”

“Why, Harrow?” Gideon asks as her voice drops. That is the second time since they came to the Emperor’s ship that Gideon has actually used Harrow’s name instead of some insult, annoying nickname, or her last name. Harrow is caught off guard at how softly Gideon says it. Fuck. Gideon is starting to be stupid. Gideon is her stupid idiot though what did she expect? 

“Because you seem to be almost impossible to kill. Trust me, I have tried to murder you.” Harrow had not actually tried to seriously murder Gideon, but it had crossed her mind. “I should probably tell you things because you’re stuck in this with me since I don’t think He will let you go after what you saw.”

“Probably because of my superior physical performance since you have spaghetti arms, Nonagesimus.”

“Gideon, I’m serious. Can you not be like that for at least one minute?”

Gideon shakes her head, “Too hard.”

“I hate you so much.” Harrow sighs. Despite all of the annoying qualities, Gideon had been growing on her. Gideon is her one constant, the only thing that has remained the same. Still has that goofy grin and two thoughts in her head: sword and titty. That is why Gideon’s presence has been so comforting. She still has one piece of her life before Canaan House. 

“Yeah, I know.” Gideon replies but it doesn’t sound like she is offended or angry with Harrow. It’s tender almost. Harrow doesn’t want to think about the way that Gideon had pulled her out of the First House, her cursed gold eyes full of worry as she shook Harrow frantically yelling Harrow’s name. She doesn’t want to think about the way that Gideon had pulled her close the other night when she had crawled into Gideon’s makeshift bed. She doesn’t want to think about the way that she clings to Gideon when they lay together. It makes her feel so pitiful. She’s just being a child who is scared and selfishly hanging onto the one thing she knows. 

“Hey, thanks for today.” Harrow says. She may have been pissed at Gideon. But it felt like some sort of normal thing. It was just her and Griddle back on the Ninth beating each other up like they had since they had been children. It wasn’t weird. It just was. 

“Mm, you’re welcome. It was fun. I did really miss you with your weird necromancer goblinness.” 

“Well, I didn’t miss you.” Harrow declares sitting up, “Get up, Nav, we need to go over some facts that I’m sure you don’t know because you were too busy playing with swords.”

“You did, didn’t you?” Gideon grins at Harrow. It is such a shiteating grin that Harrow is tempted to punch Gideon or grab Gideon’s face and kiss her to make that grin go away. Oh gross, she is being stupid too. 

“Oh fine, I did. You are at least preferable to Ortus, but only barely.” 

“So I am a tiny bit tolerable?” Gideon stands up and offers a hand to Harrow to pull her up to her feet. 

“Nav!” Harrow does not take Gideon’s hand but instead scrambles up to stand on her toes to glare at Gideon in the face...barely. 

Gideon raises her hands in surrender. 

***

_ The emperor finally found the reason for the large order of the hair products. He just sat and pinched his forehead in exasperation for a good fifteen minutes after his servants told him. Apparently, Ianthe’s cavalier’s soul had strong armed her into ordering hair products. Or the cavalier’s soul had done it while Ianthe slept? Either way it was completely ridiculous. Coronabeth couldn’t stop laughing at her sister when the hair products showed up. Apparently the cavalier had been very fastidious about hair and Ianthe was not. He is starting to regret having regular updates on the baby lyctors.  _

_ Harrowhark has started to improve, according to the reports. But the reports also indicate that Gideon Nav keeps pace with Harrowhark almost effortlessly. It shouldn’t be surprising considering that Nav was trained in swordsmanship. However, Nav has very few problems dispatching Harrowhark’s constructs during the necromancy training sessions. Nav originally was watching but then was pulled in as an opponent. The emperor would like to see Nav fight Ianthe. But that may result in a mess he does not want to clean up.  _


	4. IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> CW: suicidal ideation

Harrow pulls Gideon into the bathroom since it is only real choice for what she is about to do. Gideon looks down at her, the grin is gone, her face is worried but then she opens her mouth and Harrow wants to die. Gideon says, “If I didn’t know you better, Harrowhawk Nonagesimus, I’d think you were trying to get in my pants.”

“Griddle, I swear to god why can’t you just be normal for one minute.” Harrow says exasperated, but deep down she is secretly pleased that Gideon would really think that. Well of course Gideon would from the way Harrow has been so clingy. But it is still dumb to be pleased about. but whatever, Harrow is always going to be a repressed boney necromancer because of what she is about to tell Gideon. Gideon will want nothing to do with her after that. 

Gideon is actually worried because her face doesn’t change. It’s the same face from the First House. “Harrow, I know things are wrong. I am not that stupid. What is going on? You’re not being yourself. I know when you’re upset and scared. I do know you that well. You’re being like after-”

“I don’t want to talk about my parents,” Harrow starts to fill the tub. She knows Gideon has been enjoying it since the Ninth believed in showers only. Gideon has hogged the bathroom of their shared quarters to just sit in the tub of hot water, only her face from nose up not immersed. Harrow threw some bones at her when she didn’t shut the door. Although Harrow did still sneak glances when Gideon forgot to shut the door. 

“Ok, but are you sure you really aren’t trying to seduce me with your skeleton titties.” 

For that Gideon earns a feeble punch from Harrow on the arm, “No, Griddle. There’s things that I promised my mother to only talk about in the ritual pool of salt water and this is the next best thing.

“Clothes on?”

“Yes! Clothes on!” Harrow turns off the tap and pushes Gideon into the tub with a huff before stepping in herself. It isn’t as deep as the pool of salt water at Dearburh but it will have to do. She had some Epsom salts next to the tub and reaches to pour them in. Gideon’s fiery hair is plastered to her face now after dunking her face into the water. 

“So Harrow…” Gideon trails off after Harrow empties the salts into the tub. Harrow curls up, tucking her knees into her chest while Gideon takes up most of the tub. She hates how she wants to just look at Gideon with her clothes plastered to her body from the water. Maybe she should have told Gideon to strip. 

“I’m the reason there was no other children in the Ninth House besides us. My parents had to ensure the heir was a necromancer. So they murdered all the children from infants to nineteen years old to make me. They took all two hundred souls of our generation of the Ninth House to ensure I was a necromancer. Gideon, I’m a war crime. The emperor cannot find out. I don’t know what would happen.”

“Harrow,” Gideon moves closer to her, “You’re fucking with me.”

Harrow shakes her head as all the years of shame fall onto her like a crushing weight. Her parents had told her that she was an amalgamation when she was very young. That she was the entire next generation of the Ninth House save one, the heir to the Locked Tomb. She had to be a necromancer to ensure the tomb was never opened. But the tomb had been opened. She had opened it out of curiosity as a child. All those lives were wasted because of a child’s curiosity. 

“No. I am completely serious, Nav. My parents made me from 200 souls of children because of the amount of thanergy needed. You were supposed to die. My aunts had pumped the creche full of nerve gas. And you didn’t die. Griddle, you were in there for more than ten minutes and all the others died almost instantly. Why do you think everyone in the NInth didn’t like you?”

Harrow still remembers vividly how her parents had been afraid of Gideon, a child with a mop of flame red hair and odd yellow eyes who had been more interested in swords than whatever diabolical plan of ruin her parents had believed she had. Her mother had warned her not to play with Gideon, but that did not last long. Gideon was the only other person in the ninth remotely her age. The first time that Gideon had accidentally hurt Harrow, her parents had flown into a panic even though it was just a bruise. Gideon of course was punished for laying hands on the Reverend Daughter. 

“Fuck. Harrow.” Gideon can only say.

“My parents were scared of you. Because you just wouldn’t die! That’s why I asked for you. Because you just will not die!” Harrow wants Gideon to grab her, to hold her, to tell her that everything is fine. 

Gideon closes her eyes for a moment, “That’s really fucked up.”

And then Harrow just loses it. All the pent up emotions from the past weeks and the years of loathing start to boil over. Harrow lets out a sob. It’s an ugly sob. She should have been killed but stupid Griddle saved her. Her death would have atoned for the sins of her parents. It would have atoned for the stain of her existing. She had hurt Gideon so much as a child because she wanted to hurt herself. Gideon was constantly getting into trouble and welding chaos that all of the pent up frustration in Harrow just came out at her. Harrow had wanted to die so many times.

Then Gideon answers Harrow’s wish by grabbing her. Harrow freezes, stiffening like a corpse in rigor mortis. How can Griddle even touch her? After all that? After learning what Harrow actually is. Gideon squeezes her tight with her thick arms. Gideon should just kill her. Then it would all be over, then she wouldn’t have to feel like ripping her skin off all the time. She’s just so tired. 

“Hey, fuckface, it’s ok or I guess it can be ok eventually.”

Gideon is hugging her. Gideon Nav, Harrow’s punching bag is hugging her. Gideon is so stupid. Why is Gideon so stupid and like this. Harrow doesn’t respond, sobs just keep wracking her body. She hasn’t cried since her parents died. Harrow finally chokes out, “I killed my parents.”

“No, you didn’t. I was the reason why they died.” Gideon’s eyebrow furrows, “That’s what I thought you hated me for.”

“No, idiot. They died because I went in the Locked Tomb. They thought I had unleashed the apocalypse so they decided that we would all commit suicide. But I couldn’t do it. I watched them do it.”

Harrow had held the noose. She had only been a child. And she couldn’t do it. All those 200 souls that made up her had screamed at her to live. That she had to live for them, to make the sacrifice worth something. So she dropped it.

“But I told them.” Gideon says, “At least let me carry some of that guilt. You already have too much.”

“Fuck you.” Harrow can only say as Gideon cups her face with her large hands. Gideon’s calloused thumbs stroke Harrow’s cheek wiping away the tears. Harrow lays her hand over Gideon’s. Gideon’s hand is so hot against her skin. She wants Gideon’s hands to burn her away with their heat. Harrow has bared herself to Gideon, to fucking Griddle. But it had to happen sooner or later. After that nightmare night, it became obvious that she had to to tell Gideon. But she hadn’t wanted to. She had been scared of Gideon’s reaction. She didn’t want to lose that one piece of home.

“Fuck you, too.” Gideon’s face comes unbearably close to Harrow’s. Harrow freezes as her mind starts to race in anxiety. Her breath caught in her throat as Gideon plants a kiss on her temple. And then Gideon moves lower.

Is she?

“Griddle-” Harrow starts. Gideon kisses her nose and then pulls back the stupid grin returning. 

Gideon’s hands are still on Harrow’s face, “Let me carry some of this. I will be at your side. After all, you did ask for me to be your new cavalier.”

And then Gideon kisses her on the lips. Harrow eagerly kisses Gideon back. She wants to bask in Gideon’s acceptance, in Gideon’s affection, just in Gideon. Her Griddle. Harrow’s fingers run along Gideon’s jawline as she closes her eyes to blink back the tears. They break apart to stare at each other. Gideon doesn’t say anything stupid. She just smiles her doofy grin of happiness. Harrow wraps her arms around Gideon, resting her head in the crook of Gideon’s shoulder. She doesn’t want to let go. 

And then of course Gideon has to be annoying, “Hmm, I guess I was right that you wanted to get into my pants.”

“Shut up, Griddle,” Harrow can’t bring herself to be short with Gideon. “I’m not done telling secrets.”

“Oh? Is the next one that I have completely seduced the Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House Catacombs?” Gideon plants a kiss on Harrow’s cheek making her blush. 

“No.” Harrow’s voice dropped. This has been plaguing her since they had arrived at the Emperor’s ship. She had not completed the lyctor process. And yet, here she is, lying to the face of the emperor about what she is. Ortus had been killed. Not by her. By Cytherea. It had been a rather bloody affair from what she had seen of the mangled remnants of Ortus. She had never cared much for him, but she hadn’t wished such a painful death on him. “I’m not actually a lyctor.”

“Fuck, Harrow, you’re lying to the emperor? The man who is essentially god? You have some balls.” Gideon’s voice is hushed. Her eyes are rimmed with worry. “What do you mean?”

“Griddle, the lyctor ascension is when a necromancer absorbs their cavalier’s soul for use as an necromancy battery. Ianthe, the other lyctor. She ate her cavalier. She literally ate his soul. It killed him. She didn’t care.” Harrow bites her lip hard trying not to cry again. She still sees Ianthe’s entrance after she ate Naberius. The way that the Eight House died. The horror of what becoming a lyctor meant. She bites down harder and her lip starts to bleed as she shudders. 

“Ew.” Gideon’s finger wipes the blood off Harrow’s lip gently, “That is gross. Grosser than you being murdered babies. You didn’t have the choice with how you were born. But Ianthe, she had a choice. I still feel guilty stabbing Cytherea to save you. I didn’t know what it would be like. I was pretty stupid, huh?”

“Yeah, yeah you’re stupid, Griddle.” Harrow smiles weakly. “I don’t know how long I can keep the charade up. This means so much to the Ninth House. You know how we’re crumbling to dust.” 

“I’m at your side, my dark lady. We’re in this together. I’m apparently unkillable and you’re 200 souls. I think we can fool god.”

“Did Aiglamene even tell you the cavalier oath or did she just ship you out right away?” Harrow asks. 

“No.” Gideon looks blanks for a moment, “I don’t think she did.”

“I want you to swear it. I’ll tell you it. I want you swear, you’ll always be by my side.” Harrow whispers in Gideon’s ear before giving her a kiss on the cheek. 

“Alright, babe.”

And for once, Harrow didn’t mind Gideon calling her by a pet name. 

***

_ For once, the emperor does not have to deal with Ianthe and her sister fighting or Ianthe’s cavalier making illicit nercroamazon purchases with his prime account. He should have never shared the password in the lyctor group chat. Instead, he has to deal with the issue of Harrowhark and Gideon Nav. Some rather interesting, perhaps distressing news came to him by way of the Eight House. Apparently, the Ninth House had been engaging in some rather illegal acts of necromancy.  _

_ He has yet to decide what to do about that. Harrowhark is an lyctor. He can’t just remove her since he did need more lyctors. But if the report from the Eighth is true, he will have to keep a closer eye on her. A necromancer made of many souls is something very potent. Something almost like a lyctor even before the lyctor accession process.  _

_ The report from the Eighth confirms that Gideon Nav’s origins are not of the Ninth House. Furthermore, if the report is to be accurate, it appears that Nav is the single person to survive the crime of the Ninth.  _

_ The Emperor is stuck in a hard place. On one hand, it is likely that none of the other houses will believe the Eight about the Ninth, but on the other hand what is he to do with a non-sanctioned necromantic amalgamation?  _

_ And from what Ianthe says, it seems that Harrowhark did not complete the lyctor process since her original cavalier died by Cytherea’s hand. Harrowhark already being full of souls may prove more useful than if he decided to not use her.  _

_ For the time being, he will ignore her lie. This is becoming interesting to sit back and watch.  _


	5. 5

Gideon actually did not end swearing the cavalier oath. Harrow had promptly decided to take Gideon's word and not try to exact a formal version. Instead they had ended up falling into her blanket nest exhausted. Harrow clung to her like a tick, her slender boney hands wrapped in Gideon's shirt. 

Gideon still isn't quite sure what had happened earlier. Harrow let her kiss her? Gideon had fully expected to get strangled for that. But she  _ had _ to know what the deal was. And the deal was that the infernal Lady of the Ninth  _ liked _ her, Gideon Nav! If it was any girl but Harrow, Gideon would be completely over the moon. But, well Harrow is a creepy and mean necromancer who had tried to make her life a living hell. 

It wasn't like the Ninth House really believed in emotions. But even Harrow should have known if you like someone you aren't constantly trying to murder them. However, Gideon sees this as her only chance at romancing a girl especially since she's stuck on a ship and the other potential candidates are probably even worse than Harrow. At least Harrow doesn't demand that Gideon gives her body parts like the other necromancer!

Gideon strokes Harrow's curls. She had known the Ninth House was fucked up but just not how fucked up. She  _ actually _ feels bad for Harrow now. At least Gideon didn't have parents who could have reminded her that she was awful. It had to be different coming from people who were supposed to love you. Gideon just had the entire house who weren't her parents and she didn't feel particularly guilty, except maybe with Aiglamene, for the amount of times she told them to fuck off. Whereas, well she guesses Harrow couldn't really do that as the heir and having parents and all.

But the thing was, Gideon wasn't sure about how she felt that she  _ likes _ Harrow. In any other scenario, she'd be throwing herself off Dearburh for even thinking Harrow was cute. Yes, Harrow had been her first kiss when she was 16, but also like who else was she going to kiss on the Ninth? It was gross. Not at all what her imagination had thought kissing would be. But also she had thought it was Harrow being a complete dick since it was Harrow who had initiated. Harrow knew that Gideon wasn't going to be kissing girls anytime soon and she had cornered Gideon, gave her a kiss, then cackled and glided off. Gideon had chased after her pissed as hell shouting all sorts of expletives until Crux had appeared around the corner. She had been  _ so _ close to strangling the Reverend Daughter for ruining that. 

Oh. Fucking-

Gideon shakes Harrow rather annoyed, "Hey asshole, how fucking long ?"

Harrow wildly punches at Gideon with a shriek. 

"Harrow, by the necrolord's balls, how long?"

"Nav! Language!" Harrow swats her.

"How long?" Gideon asks again ignoring Harrow's scolding. She can and will use the emperor's name in vain. It's not like he's going to suddenly appear and smite her. Besides the emperor is currently on her shit list just below Crux. 

"Gideon, what are you asking me?" 

Gideon glares at Harrow, "How long have you liked me?"

"I do not  _ like _ you!" 

Gideon starts to laugh at Harrow's indignant response, "Listen, you little goblin-"

"I  _ love _ your stupid guts. I hate you so much that you managed to get me to  _ love _ you." Harrow spits. 

"Aw, that's literally the nicest thing you've ever said to me." Gideon grins as Harrow reddens realizing what she had just said. 

"If you tell anyone, I will feed you bone meal and eviscerate you from the inside out." Harrow pounds on Gideon with her tiny fists. Gideon can about see steam coming out of Harrow's ears. She can't believe she got the coldest bitch in all the houses to confess like that. 

"So when you kissed me when you were 14?"

"I do not want to talk about this." Harrow rolls so her back faces Gideon. Her arms are crossed and it is strangely adorable. 

Gideon leans over Harrow fully intending to yank the truth our even if she gets murdered. "That wasn't so bad, was it? You aren't a skeleton, my dearest lady of the ninth, you do have emotions. Now, how long?."

"I am going to strangle you if you don't stop," Harrow is angry, but it ended up sounding more whiny to Gideon. 

"Oh come on. You already did the hard part. Just tell me." Gideon wheedles. This is probably the most fun she has had in well since forever. It combines all the things she likes: annoying Harrow, gay, and being told that she's liked. 

"I hate you so much." Harrow whines again.

"You can do it. I know you can."

"I've always like you! Happy?" Harrow looks about ready to vomit.

"Yes, why I am." Gideon pulls Harrow into her. Harrow elbows her hard as Gideon kisses Harrow's skinny neck. 

"I'm going to my bed." Harrow starts to wiggle, trying to worm away from Gideon. She is very clearly embarrassed about it all now. Gideon knows she should probably stop teasing Harrow, but she really doesn't want to. 

"Fine. I know you're going to come crawling back as soon as I'm asleep." Gideon releases Harrow. 

"I certainly will not!" Harrow is so red. Gideon smirks at her. 

Harrow did come back and wormed her way back into Gideon's arms which of course woke up Gideon. Harrow stiffens as Gideon whispers, "I told you."

Harrow purposely slides her ice cold hand under Gideon's shirt making Gideon yelp in surprise before pressing herself against Gideon, "Shut up." 

“I am always right,” Gideon smirks which earns her cold feet on her stomach. 

***

_ The newest headache of the emperor does not have to do with the Third House, thank god. Instead it has to do with Gideon Nav. Somehow she had managed to download (more than he had even wanted to know about) pornographic magazines despite the heavily secured and limited access to the internet. First off, it is a security breach that he did not want to deal with the IT department with and second off, why the hell did she only do it for porn? He had been convinced once he got the notification it was some attempt to get a message out to the Ninth which could have gone either way or an attempt to leave. But no. It was titty magazines that she torrented. The lyctor group chat (the one without Ianthe and Harrowhark) had thought it hilarious. They had to remind him that he was dealing with teenagers again. It had been almost ten thousand fucking years since he had to deal with them. He is starting to regret this.  _


	6. Chapter 6

When the other saints arrived, Gideon was even more disappointed. She was expecting something more badass than the cranky exhausted people. Harrow had shot her a glare reminding her to keep her lips zipped shut before the other lyctors had stepped into the Emperor’s ship. Harrow’s fingertips had brushed hers as the other saints looked Harrow and the Third house over. The woman with odd strawberry blond hair scowled, “John, these are the new lyctors? They are just children! That one looks like she’s nine.”

The man accompanying the woman speaks as the Emperor ignores the statement, “Ignore Mercy. She’s the saint of patience, believe it or not. I’m Augustine and I am for one glad to have new sisters.”

Gideon wants to gag. Get a load of this guy! She immediately dislikes this Augustine since he reminds her of some of the more unpleasant older denizens of the Ninth. But instead of being musty and crusty, he is too smooth, despite having the same aristocratic haughtiness. Mercy on the other hand reminds her of the run of the mill cranky nun which she has dealt with so many times. 

“Girls, Augustine and Mercymorn will be joining in training and mentoring you since we need you all to get up to speed quickly.” God says. “And we’re going to have dinner then start onward to Mithirium where we’ll lay Cythera to rest and hopefully the saint of duty, Gideon will come.”

Gideon tries not to react. Who is this Gideon mentioned? Harrow’s eyes dart to look at Gideon from the corners of her eyes. It could have been to glare but it seemed to be more out of worry. 

“You know how he is.” Mercy says, “Doesn’t really like company, so probably not. Besides he’ll scare the children.”

Augustine snorts, “You’re more likely to scare them, Mercymorn.”

“Shut up Augustine. God, I hate your stupid face.”

Gideon tries not to snicker but fails. Harrow kicks her shin. Mercy gives Gideon a cross look but doesn’t say anything. Perhaps things will be more entertaining now since these two seem to fight. But she’s burning to know more about this saint of duty. They share a name, probably coincidence, but Gideon is a bad ass name. So maybe he’s a badass who could teach her some cool fighting moves or something. Harrow’s fingers brush Gideon’s again. She’s probably just anxious about playing lyctor in front of God and his hands. 

Dinner was...awkward to put it in the least. The Third chattered the whole time as Gideon and Harrow remained silent slipping into the nun persona to deflect prying. The mercy asks a question of the Necrolord Undying, “John, why are you letting them keep a companion? I get it with these two since they’re twins. But the skull nuns? Seriously?”

Harrow’s thigh presses against Gideons as she stiffens. For once, Gideon is glad for the damned face paint even if it makes her skin attempt to eat itself. Only she can read Harrow. To everyone else Harrow’s face is completely unmoving...like a skull. 

“Oh Harrowhark’s servant dealt the death blow to Cytherea. She might be useful.” John replies, “Not very talkative though.”

Mercy eyes narrow as she looks over Gideon. “I see-- and she’s not a cavalier?”

“No.” Harrow speaks. 

Augustine casts a glance at mercy, “Odd. But then again, the Ninth has always been odd.”

Harrow scowls as Gideon pushes the vegetables around her plate. The ninth might be creepy skeleton obsessed recluses but the Third and First are equally as whacky from what Gideon has seen. The Third fought about sharing an arm and God well is God. Gideon doesn’t know much about him besides that he seems to drink a bitter drink in obscene quantities. Why flagellate yourself when you have so many options? That’s the one good thing about this whole situation, Gideon has gotten to try so many new foods. There is an entire world outside of gruel, porridge, and snowleeks which she had been dying to experience. Dinner comes to an equally awkward conclusion mostly because Harrow refuses to speak further. 

Gideon trails after Harrow on their way back to their quarters. She pauses to clean her aviators with the edge of her robe. Harrow lets out a surprised squeak causing Gideon to reach for her sword. Mercy is right in front of them. She scowls meeting Gideon’s eyes, “Oh, I fucking knew it.”

And then shit hits the fan. Harrow is yelling as Gideon is frozen in place. She cannot move a single muscle despite her attempts to open her mouth to ask, What pray, tell, the fuck? Skeletons pour out as Mercy stalks forward toward Gideon. Gideon yelps in pain, suddenly able to move. That bitch! She clutches her side, “You stabbed me! What the fuck!”

Mercy gets pelted with skeletons as Harrow rushes to Gideon’s side. The others appear having to have heard the scuffle. Gideon feels wobbly, her vision swims in and out from blood loss and pain. Harrow’s skinny, sharp arms wrap around her in an attempt to support her as her knees buckle. 

God stares as Mercy shrugs. The third house covers their mouths. Augustine blanches as he sees Gideon’s eyes. The Necrolord Prime finally speaks, “Mercymorn what the hell are you doing?”

“John, you’re so fucking dense.” Mercy laughs as Gideon coughs, blood wetting her lip tasting of iron. Harrow starts to attempt to drag Gideon towards their quarters but she is too weak from never lifting anything heavier than a flimsy. 

“Mercy, what did you do?” The Necrolord’s face is starting to have red splotches.

“I stabbed my fuckup.” Mercy finally says. 

“Can I get medical attention for Gideon?” Harrow speaks up, her voice dripping with both acid and desperation. 

“Mercy!” Augustine snaps, “I thought the operation failed!”

“Apparently not!” Mercy waves her hand at Gideon who is starting to believe she is going to just die on this spaceship’s floor while two creepy necros argue about some mistake that may or may not have anything to do with her. 

“It’d be really cool to maybe not bleed out while you fuckers argue.” Gideon finally says. 

“Gideon!” Harrow reflexively snaps. 

“Oh.” Augustine starts to laugh nervously. “Oh boy.”

“That’s your kid.” Mercy points at Gideon. 

Excuse you, what? She opens her mouth to protest but Mercy continues ignoring her. “We tried to open the locked tomb. Needed your blood. Apparently the spawn survived. God, Gideon is going to be so pissed when he finds out.”

“We? All of my lyctors have been conspiring against me?” John’s voice starts to get dangerously low. 

“Basically.”

“Oh my god, I’m bleeding here!” Gideon is starting to feel fuzzy. Her limbs are so heavy. 

“Oh my god, I’m bleeding here, I’m Dad.” God says turning to Gideon. 

“You don’t think? Those eyes!” Mercy says. 

“Shut up all of you! I’m giving you a choice. Are you with me or are you not?” The Necrolord is pissed. 

“Yes.” The Third house says quickly. 

Augustine is silent for what seems like an eternity but finally speaks up, “Yes.”

The emperor looks at Harrow. Harrow scowls, “Only if you get a medic.”

Gideon moans, “Fuck this all.”

“I’ll ignore that since she’s injured.” The Necrolord finally turns to look at Mercy. 

Mercy spits at God’s feet. “No!”

And then God explodes. Literally explodes. Gideon at first thought it was just her brain playing tricks from loss of blood until wet God Matter hits her face. Goodbye Dad?

Mercy turns to leave. Augustine grabs at her. “You just killed John!”

The Third is silent with their pretty mouths gaping wide open as Harrow starts to sniffle clutching Gideon tighter. Mercy laughs bitterly, “You wanted to kill him too. You know he’s a liar. Maybe if he hadn’t lied, Cris would still be here. Alfred too.”

“He’s GOD!” Augustine snaps, “Now what are we going to do! Dominicus is going to go out. We need to evacuate-”

Harrow starts to stammer as God reappears seemingly out of nowhere reconstituted and unharmed. 

“Oh shit.” Augustine starts. 

Then Mercy is blown to pieces. Wet blood and matter hits Gideon again. This time she’s too dazed to comprehend and promptly peaces out falling unconscious. 

***  
God sits in the medical wings starting at Gideon Nav that is apparently his daughter. The nerve of Mercy and Augustine! He would have rather not had to kill Mercy since she was a lyctor and a rather good one at that. He had lost all but three of his original hands. But it had to be done. Augustine may have sworn fealty to him, but if he was in on the plan to open the tomb? That means he could betray the Necrolord again. Augustine will have to go. Perhaps get Augustine immobilized and feed him to some heralds. And then there’s the matter of Gideon the First or Original Gideon. He will have to go too since Mercy implied he was involved as well. This is not ideal considering the resurrection beasts being so close. But he does have two new lyctors and his offspring who should prove useful even if she is not a necromancer. He may as well start completely over from scratch. The two new lyctors don’t know the past 10,000 years. He could mold them to his will. May as well dispose Augustine and Original Gideon. Hopefully these two half baked lyctors will be enough to last until he can hold more lyctor trials maybe in another 100 years. 

And then he will have to figure out what to do with his daughter. She can never go back to the Ninth. If the tomb is opened, all hell will break out. He could always dispose of her along with the other saints. But that may not be wise seeing how close that Harrowhark is to her. He does not need another Mercy or Cytherea situation even if Harrowhark isn’t a true lyctor. Harrowhark needs to stay close especially considering her origins. Maybe it would be better to kill them all even if that means it would just be God against all the resurrection beasts and the terrorist groups resisting his empire. 

However, at this point in this war he needs all the hands he can get. So, the new lyctors will be on thin ice. If they show any signs of dissension then they will be disposed of. Perhaps it was not a mistake to bring both the Third Twins and both the Ninth aboard, they can be used as collateral to bend the children to his will.


End file.
